bryozoan: Meaning and Definition of

bry•o•zo•an

1. belonging or pertaining to the Bryozoa.

1. Also calledany sessile marine or freshwater animal of the phylum Bryozoa, forming branching, encrusting, or gelatinous mosslike colonies of many small polyps, each having a circular or horseshoe-shaped ridge bearing ciliated tentacles, occurring on algae or on shaded objects. Cf. ectoproct, entoproct.